Necromancer Academy and the Genius Summoner-Chapter 345: Episode

Aron Castle was protected by a transparent barrier that enveloped the entire inner fortress, capable of blocking any aerial intrusions or catapult attacks. The source of this shield was a device known as the Guardian Stone.

"Hah... hah..."

Simon had just reached the city district within the inner castle where the stone was located. The massive crystal was completely shattered, leaving only a field of glittering debris. Signs of a fierce battle were everywhere. It seemed the Kizen student and the beastmen soldiers assigned to guard it had all been defeated.

’How in the world did they get in?’

As Simon crouched to examine the broken fragments, he sensed a presence behind him.

’Exhaust’

A stream of curse magic shot toward his back. Simon twisted away, dodging the attack as he turned and prepared a curse of his own.

"Nice reflexes."

A Kizen student he’d never seen before was approaching, his uniform a mess, caked with dirt. Blood trickled from several wounds on his body.

Simon lowered his hand. "You’re the one who broke the Guardian Stone?"

"Correct."

In truth, Jule had been assigned a second mission besides hunting Simon. The moment he had entered the inner city, he had secretly dropped a stone-shaped chess piece. A moment later, that piece had shuddered and grown, transforming into a human figure.

"I’m a necromancer who specializes in gargoyle techniques. I can turn myself into stone," the student explained. "Is that clear enough for you?"

He pressed a magic circle against his own body, and his skin hardened, taking on the color and texture of stone. Simon recognized the spell.

’‘Statue Form’.’

He’d seen it on the midterm exam but never thought he’d witness it in person. In this state, a user couldn’t cast black magic, but they gained powerful curse immunity and were nearly impervious to physical attacks. More importantly, they became like an inanimate object, making their jet-black nearly impossible to detect. Even professional necromancers used it for infiltration.

"That’s right. You’ve all been dancing in the palm of Elisa’s hand from the very beginning!"

’Thump! Thump! Thump!’

He charged, the ground shaking with each step. In response, Simon clenched his fist, gathering a dense concentration of jet-black.

’Idiot! My body is immune to physical attacks!’

The student threw a literal stone fist, but Simon sidestepped it with ease and instantly moved behind him.

’He was already at his limit.’

His jet-black was clearly depleted; the student’s back was completely exposed, unprotected by the Statue Form. Simon’s fist slammed into that vulnerable spot.

’Hongfeng Original – Chwita’

The student flew several meters before crashing into a wall, the sound of his barrier shattering echoing through the area.

[Rak Stoneville eliminated.]

[Defense Team (11/15)]

[Siege Team (10/15)]

"Good work."

His role had likely ended the moment he destroyed the Guardian Stone. As the gargoyle student’s form scattered into thin air, Simon’s gaze lifted to the highest point of the castle.

’The royal palace is in danger.’

Raising his commander’s nameplate, Simon issued orders through the communication channel and then broke into a sprint toward the palace himself.

---

"A-A dragon! A dragon has appeared!"

"It’s real! The dragon from the legends! Run!"

The beastmen forces descended into chaos. At the sight of the Corpse Dragon—its body covered in dark, decaying scales—beating its massive wings as it took flight, the soldiers of the Aron Kingdom were seized by a primal terror. When the dragon let out a thunderous roar, they dropped their weapons and fled for their lives.

The black dragon soared leisurely above the castle, destroying key structures and crushing the soldiers’ morale before finally arriving at the pinnacle of Aron Castle. Looking down upon the royal palace from above, the dragon opened its cavernous maw.

’Dragon Breath’

’Booooom!’

A sphere of black energy shot out and slammed into the royal palace. A deafening explosion rocked the fortress, shaking the very foundations as if an earthquake had struck. Stone fragments rained down from the sky.

The dragon watched silently, its eyes narrowing.

’...Just as I thought.’ 𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂

The royal palace was an indestructible objective. To kill the king, he would have to shrink down and enter the palace himself.

The black dragon descended to the ground, its massive form gradually contracting. Its long, reptilian snout receded, morphing into a human face, while the scales that had been plastered to its body now dangled loosely like grotesque ornaments. It was the unique power of the Moore family—the ability to transform into a Corpse Dragon.

Hector, now in a humanoid form still bearing the remnants of his transformation, strode toward the royal palace.

’Clank!’

The palace doors burst open, and a contingent of beastmen knights in full plate armor rushed out.

They drew their swords, leveling them at Hector.

"We are the Royal Knights, squeak!"

"Squeak! Squeak! Guardian of the evil Khan Kingdom, withdraw!"

A vein throbbed on Hector’s forehead. "Fakes like you don’t give me orders."

"Squeak squeak! Charge!"

"Aium Aron!!"

With a unified war cry, the knights charged. Hector clicked his tongue in annoyance and opened his subspace.

"Fight, you morons."

Skeletons poured out. The moment they emerged, their bodies disassembled and then reformed into long, straight pikes.

’Bone Spear’

With a flick of his wrist, Hector sent the bone spears soaring. They shot forward with a chilling shriek, tearing through the air.

’Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!’

The spears pierced through the knights’ iron plate armor, killing them instantly. Though their comrades fell around them, the remaining knights didn’t falter, instead charging with even greater speed.

’Swoosh.’

Hector extended a finger. A crimson curse shot from his fingertip, linking the lead knight to the four behind him in a single, deadly line.

"Kraaah!"

The lead knight raised his sword. Hector’s body was only partially covered by the Corpse Dragon’s scales, and the knight swung his blade, aiming for an exposed gap.

’Clang!’

The scales shifted on their own, intercepting the blow.

"N-No!"

The towering Hector raised his fist, casting a giant’s shadow over the terrified knight.

Hector’s fist connected with the knight’s helmet, crushing it and the skull within. As the knight collapsed, the four others linked to him by the curse suffered the same devastating impact to their heads and crumbled to the ground.

"I am a necromancer, you worms."

’Thwack!’ Another kick sent a knight flying. From above, reassembled Bone Spears rained down, impaling the remaining soldiers.

"If you want to stop me," Hector growled, spinning in a tight circle. The dragon wings on his back scythed through the air like blades, cutting down another wave of knights. "You’ll have to bring me Simon Polentia!"

Every move Hector made left a trail of death. It took him a mere five minutes to annihilate the Aron Kingdom’s most elite Royal Palace Knights.

"Not even a proper warm-up," he snorted, turning back toward the palace.

’Exhaust’

’Fzzt!’ A stream of curse magic shot toward him from the side. Hector formed a Cancellation in his right hand and casually swatted it away.

"You’re not getting to the palace, Hector Moore!"

A female Kizen student had made her way up the stairs. She activated a series of magic circles she had floating in the air.

’Exhaust’

’Blind’

’Feint’

With an indifferent expression, Hector either twisted his body to dodge the curses or deployed his Cancellation to nullify them. For the final curse, he gathered jet-black in his fist and shattered it with a timed burst of energy.

"...No way!"

The student’s face hardened in disbelief. This time, Hector extended his own arm.

’Strangle’

She yelped, pressing her palms together to form a Cancellation, but Hector’s curse passed straight through her defensive magic and slammed into her body.

"Keuk!"

She clutched at her throat, choking as she collapsed. Tears welled in her eyes.

"Pathetic," Hector said, lowering his arm with a bored expression. "Obsessing over the kind of low-level curse barrage that’s only popular in the lower-tier squads is useless against someone at my level. Trash."

"Get back, Pengel!"

A curly-haired male student now stood blocking the palace entrance. Annoyance flickered across Hector’s face.

"I have no time for small fry like you. Bring me Simon Polentia!"

"Sorry, but Simon’s a little busy!" the student shot back with a grin, activating a magic circle on his palm. A sheet of blood, the basic Hemomancy spell ’Blood Silk’, enveloped his body. "I can handle the likes of you myself!"

’A hemomancer this time,’ Hector thought, waiting with a cold expression. The Blood Silk draped over the student’s body twisted and coalesced into several thick layers, forming a solid protective shell.

’Blood Robe’

His spell complete, the student charged. In response, Hector sharpened the scales dangling from his body and launched them like projectiles.

The student’s Blood Robe effortlessly absorbed the assault.

"Sorry, but this is my own original black magic!"

’Whoosh!’ The student swung his fist. Hector leaned aside to dodge, but at the same moment, the Blood Robe swelled and sprouted sharp thorns that stabbed at Hector’s body.

’Success...!’

Hector’s expression turned to ice. "Don’t make me laugh. Trash."

’Hongfeng Original – Cheonhyung’

Without any complex movements or calculations, Hector unleashed a pure, brutal punch that slammed into the student’s abdomen.

The blow tore through the Blood Robe and connected directly. The student gagged, clutching his stomach as he staggered back.

"What’s so original about it?" Hector closed the distance in an instant and slugged the student across the face. "Every Tom, Dick, and Harry makes one slight change to an existing technique and dares to call it original. It’s because they only eliminate a measly fifty people at a time." ’Baaam!’ "That trash like this is still allowed to remain at Kizen."

Hector was now beating the student with his bare fists, no longer bothering with Cheonhyung. The Blood Robe finally dissipated, revealing the student’s unprotected body. He trembled, raising an arm as if to beg.

"S-Stop...!"

Hector delivered a vicious uppercut to his jaw. The whites of the student’s eyes rolled back as he collapsed.

[Emmons Florence eliminated.]

[Defense Team (10/15)]

[Siege Team (10/15)]

"All sorts of worms getting in my way...!"

Muttering to himself, Hector swung his arm without looking.

’Clang!’

He casually deflected another curse with Cancellation, then turned his head. The female student, Pengel, was back on her feet, panting heavily.

"So you managed to dispel my Strangle. Not bad for a Cursology wannabe."

Hector advanced on her like the grim reaper. Pengel was trembling, but she met his gaze with defiance and raised her hands.

"Haaaaah!"

A rapid-fire volley of curses shot from her fingertips. Hector deflected or shattered them with nothing more than a few flicks of his arm. When her barrage ended, she stumbled backward, her face a mask of terror.

"Back to low-quality curse-spamming again. I see you can’t fix a trashy habit."

Hector stomped the ground and charged, closing the distance in an instant. At that moment...

’You fell for it!’

A sly grin spread across Pengel’s face. Hector passed right through her shimmering, translucent form.

’Damn it, Spirit Form!’

She spun around and wrapped her arms around Hector’s back.

’Banshee’s Embrace’

As the hug-activated black magic took effect, Hector’s body turned a deathly gray, and his movements froze completely.

"Too bad," she taunted. "I’m not a Cursology major. I’m from the Banshee clan."

The curse-spamming had been a feint. Pengel’s desired major was Spiritology.

"Banshee’s Embrace doesn’t just stop a target’s movements; it blocks their very thoughts." She tapped Hector’s cheek. His frame was so massive that she looked like a cicada clinging to a tree. "Now then, how should I finish off the young, immobilized master of the Moore family...."

A searing pain erupted across her back, and her pupils dilated in shock. Hector’s scales, which he had detached earlier, had embedded themselves in her back like throwing stars.

"Ah!"

The pain blanked her mind. Her concentration shattered, and focus returned to Hector’s eyes.

"It doesn’t matter if you’re Cursology or Spiritology."

Hector’s hand shot out, seizing Pengel’s head.

"Ah, ahhhhhhh!!"

"It was obvious you’d resort to some cheap trick the moment you got close."

Her obsessive curse-spamming had tipped him off that she had an ulterior motive. He had preemptively imbued his scales with jet-black, sent them behind him, and programmed them to return if he didn’t actively control them after a set time.

"Now, get lost."

’Crack! Crack!’ Under Hector’s monstrous grip, her barrier gauge fractured and shattered.

Just then.

The sole of a shoe appeared directly in front of Hector’s face.

Hector barely managed to throw up his other hand to block the kick. The force sent him skidding backward as a boy landed gracefully on the ground, holding Pengel.

At last.

"Agh...!"

An irrepressible joy erupted from Hector, his mouth splitting into a monstrous grin.

"I was just starting to desperately miss fighting you! Simon Polentia!!"